The major goal of this project is the understanding in molecular terms of the coupling of membrane functions to metabolic energy, with an emphasis on active transport and oxidative phosphorylation. The transduction of energy from one membrane system to another will be studied through the biochemical isolation of the individual components of membrane systems and followed by incorporation into artificial phospholipid vesicles. In that way in vitro analogs of biological membranes can be constructed allowing a study of the function and mechanism of each system in isolation and in concert. The organization of the proteins within biological membranes will also be studied in order to gain insight into the relationship of their location within the membrane to their function.